The Odd Airplane that Achieved a Crazy Mach Speed

In April 1985, as part of a trial pursued by British Airways, many of the world's fastest aircraft reunited in one place to test out the aviation world's latest star: the BAC Concorde, a supersonic airliner that could maintain a supercruise up to Mach 2.04

Only a few months earlier, the Franco-British aircraft flew from London Heathrow to Sydney in a record time of 17 hours, 3 minutes, and 45 seconds, including refueling stops.

Famous aircraft from NATO allied countries like F-15 Eagles, F-16 Fighting Falcons, Grumman F-14 Tomcats, Dassault Mirages, and F-104 Starfighters, were offered the once-in-a-lifetime chance to chase the Concorde.

But despite their best efforts, time and time again, these guardians of the skies could simply not reach the Concorde.

Only a fellow British Aircraft Corporation model would beat the others to the punch. A single BAC Lightning interceptor, flown by pilot Mike Hale, managed to overtake Concorde on a stern conversion intercept.

While the pilot described the Concorde as a very hot ship, he knew the aircraft he was piloting was nothing less than the fastest solely British fighter of all time.

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[jimfrodsham]

We never called it the "BAC Lightning" it was always the EE. Watching them take off from RAF Gutersloh was an eye opener, a fat little plane waddling down the runway then suddenly a vanishing silver dot high in the sky leaving two steaming circles on the tarmac. Awe inspiring sight.

[richstrasz]

The Tornado was not an Italian aircraft - It was produced by Panavia - a joint British / German & Italian consortium. Also, the Tornado in the clip is a Tornado IDS (Inter Dictor Strike) the Ground attack / Bomber version- known in the RAF as a Tornado GR1 (later GR4). The Lighting was initially (but not fully) replaced by the RR Spey engined Phantom F4M (known in the RAF& RN as the Phantom FGR1 & FGR2). The last two Lightning Squadrons (5 Sqn & 11Sqn) were finally re-equipped (as were the Phantom Squadrons) With the Tornado F3 ADV (Air Defence Varient) which had a completely different RADAR and Weapons system, enhanced Engines and Avionics. The F3 was a pure British development of the Tornado although the Italians did briefly also lease some F3's as a stop gap before the Typhoons came on line.

[marklewis]

Along with the Vulcan, the Lightning is my favourite aircraft. I'm lucky (old) enough to have seen them both at air shows at the tail end of their respective careers.

[simongee]

As a lad, it always fascinated me watching the Lightning at air displays going through takeoff and suddenly almost sitting on it's backside and going nearly vertical.
Amazing - ! 😊

[mickymondo]

I remember skiving off work and going up to RAF Binbrook and sitting at the end of the runway watching the Lightnings taking off, if there were a large number of cars parked at the fence, the pilots would put on a bit of a show by lifting off and then dropping the arse and going almost vertical with full afterburn, the jetwash would almost rock the Transit van we were sitting in over as they disappeared into the skies above us. English Electric were an incredible company, manufacturing everything from fridges ans cookers, to the Deltic passenger locomotive which used the Napier marine diesel engines and were the most powerful locos on British Railways producing 3300bhp, Sadly Britain manufactures virtually nothing these days

[HerbertDuckshort]

I was RAF groundcrew on Lightings and it was well known that some were much faster than others. The Concorde racer featured in this video was most definitely the hottest of the hottest.

[patthewoodboy]

I was at an airshow at North Weald Essex 1973 ... A lightning came along the runway at about 100 feet, kicked in the afterburner and went ballistic into the clouds . The noise was amazing,

[max]

I was lucky enough to have a go on the Lightning flight simulator at RAF Binbrook not long before the Lightnings were retired. It was mind-blowing. Got airborne, gear up, pulled to the vertical and watched it accelerate vertically through Mach 1.

[Squodgamullis]

I've always felt sorry for the Lightning. It was designed to do exactly what was asked of it - to be a high performance point interceptor for stopping high level enemy bombers - but when the military landscape changed everybody criticised the design for its lack of range and weapons load, things that were not part of the intital requirement.

[stevenlarratt]

The Lightning if at full throttle could only last for around 30 minutes endurance. That shows how amazing the Concorde was, knowing how amazing the lightning was.

[camaroguy]

The first part regarding the race against the Concord is very interesting. To think there was a time that some of the best and fastest fighter jets of the day could not catch a high passenger jet. Incredible! Thank you for another fantastic video!

[crazypj]

Thanks for making this, I never realised they were made in such low numbers or prototypes first flew in early 50's.
In late 70's, my girlfriend's brother was in RAF 'somewhere in Scotland'.
He told us Russian's always sent a 'Christmas card delivery' just to disrupt things on 25th Dec.
This particular year, there were American's on base with F4 Phantoms, bragging about how great it was. (it was as it carried tons of ordinance)
Usual call, intercept Russian bomber.
He said it was like a Ferrari and a 100E Ford Popular the difference in acceleration down runway (Ford Pop was a side valve low power car from 1960's)
Phantom was barely off the ground by the time Lightning, in vertical climb, was at 20, 000ft so I'm pretty sure you were 100% correct saying it was fastest climbing interceptor

[billbonnington]

I do find half of this to be a figment of the imagination of the author. The Lightning was an interceptor, nothing else, and it was superb. It didn't need to fly thousands of miles or carry 20 different types of ordnance. It needed to go quick, and that it did better than anything else.

[arcolee]

Lightnight. What a wonder! I remember going with my father and brother to see this machine fly at airshows. It really could take off and go straight into a vertical climb! My ears still feel the sound!

[paulharding]

Such an iconic aircraft. I vividly remember the vertical climb of the Lightening demonstrations at RAF Finingley in my childhood. Just awesome.

[mookie]

Completely the wrong end of the stick. It wasn't the Concorde pilot who described his aircraft as a "hot ship", it was the Lightning pilot who said his particular aircraft was "a pretty hot ship, even for a Lightning." This channel never fails to disappoint.

[BillySugger]

I remember these flying over Southern England in the early 1970s. A remarkable sight, but an even more unforgettable sound!

[tobiasc.]

Small correction: the first supersonic wind tunnel was located in Switzerland no later than 1934. The first supersonic wind tunnel in America was a war trophy that the Americans had dismantled in Germany in 1945. It had been built by the Germans in 1937.

[DrivermanO]

Just a point. The test pilot's name was Roly BEAMONT (Beemont), not Beaumont (Bomont). No U! And the engines weren't just mounted vertically, they were also staggered horizontally, so the drag was reduced by 25% over conventional twin engines. There is also a quote by a new pilot that said after he released the brakes, he was supersonic at 30, 000ft before he had properly drawn breath (or something akin to that!)

[nicholasmoore]

As an air cadet I saw two EE Lightnings exercise an intercept. I have no idea how fast they were going on takeoff, but once off the ground they went what looked vertically. They were still accelerating vertically! Apparently they were going over Mach 2 before they got to intercept altitude. I also heard that RAF Lightnings got up to a USAF U2 aircraft on a practice intercept and, had it been real, could have shot it down. Don't know the real story but it was told to me by a former RAF fighter pilot.